Video: Cam Zink Getting To Grips With Squamish Slabs

Feb 21, 2023 at 5:29
by Cycles Devinci  

British Columbia’s Sea to Sky corridor looks like it was made for mountain biking. The granite slabs are so grippy you can ride the impossible. Trails rip through forests of widely spaced trees and deep loam. Riding can feel like skiing on a powder day. On top of that, the landscape is so visually impressive that even the moments when you aren’t riding feel intense.
 
North Vancouver local Steve Vanderhoek is used to the supernature of BC. Cam Zink, who spent most of his life in the Nevada desert, not so much. Watch Cam get a feel for the place by taking on some of the gnarliest moves in the Sea to Sky, with a little guidance from his friends.

A Douglas Fir can grow to nearly 100m tall in BC. Zink for scale on the slab.

One-foot table on Boogie Nights.

Can you guess which rider hasn’t hit this feature before?

They don’t have slabs like this in Nevada.

Slapping turns on Diamond Head in Squamish.

Riders: Cam Zink, Patrick Laffey, Drew Mozell, & Steve Vanderhoek
Director/Editor: Scott Secco
Photographer: Kelsey Toevs
Cinematography: Andre Nutini & Scott Secco
Sound Design: Keith White Audio
Special Thanks: Yoann Barelli, Kenny Smith, & Evelyn Moorhouse

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87 Comments

  • 87 13
 Loam (/lōm/): a soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay.
  • 36 1
 i love your commitment to the pedantry. keep up the good fight!
  • 6 0
 I thought it was equal parts sand and silt with half portion of clay.
  • 4 0
 @tiffe: mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–silt–clay, respectively. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loam
  • 14 1
 People downvoting this comment don't realize what loam is Razz
  • 14 6
 @kyleluvsdh: or just tired of the pedantic comments.
  • 4 0
 I don't get what TEAM-ROBOT is attempting to say here. Is he implying that the term 'loam' is being misused?

This is a picture of loam: tinyurl.com/2p85thp3

If you've ridden in these areas, you'll know that this is very much what you see on the mountains, just under the duff.
  • 7 0
 @jayacheess: 50% or more likely use the term incorrectly
  • 3 3
 @kyleluvsdh: who cares, if you're not trying to build trail with the stuff, it doesn't matter.
  • 4 0
 Boohoohoo I am sad is right, upvote me
  • 8 9
 @mammal: Loam Lives Matter
  • 6 11
flag WayneParsons (Feb 22, 2023 at 11:57) (Below Threshold)
 Loam is actually the organic duff on top of the gold (sand, silt, and clay).
  • 1 0
 ..
  • 9 0
 @WayneParsons: Loam is an actual soil designation so it's inorganic FYI. Soil particles are classified by diameter. It's often misrepresented as "peat" by a lot of mountain bikers. That upper layer of gold in the PNW is organic "peat" biologically speaking - not loam.
  • 20 0
 Loam is actually a mixture of those three in various proportions. There are loamy sands, sandy loams, sandy clay loams, silt loams, regular loam, silty clay loams, and clay loams. The forests around north van and Squamish are mostly loamy sands or sandy loams. If you’re riding on dirt in these areas, you are likely riding on a loam of some type. Source: I do ecology work in the region.

Thank you for listening to my TED talk.
  • 12 2
 @WayneParsons: the gold mineral soil is loam. The duff on top is just that- duff. Organic duff sits on top of inorganic loam. That’s why Dirt Merchant is my favorite loamer.
  • 2 3
 Clowns, everywhere.
  • 9 13
flag sxjimmy (Feb 22, 2023 at 12:45) (Below Threshold)
 Anyone questioning @WayneParsons or any other Shore Vet's definition of LOAM can just f off and not come up here.

Simple.

LOAM is what WE CALL the soft organic matter on the suface above the GOLD!

**you dictionary nerds could look up a definition of "Mountain biking" too, that aint gonna show what we do up here either. Peace and love.
  • 11 0
 Duffers.
  • 5 2
 Its not that we use the wrong terms. Clearly Duff prefers to identify as Loam. I'm proud that we as mountain bikers are supportive.
  • 1 0
 You should be taking issue with the word "transplant"
  • 6 0
 @TEAM-ROBOT: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loam

Loam is a broad term that encompasses several soil types with different sand, silt, and clay contents. The main defining feature is that it's a combination of these 3 different types of soils.

So while Dirt Merchant may be built with loam with maybe a higher clay content than normal loam "clay loam", there are also deep brown coloured loams with heavy organic content that are not duff.

This is loam: tinyurl.com/2p85thp3

And further (from wiki): " In fact, the primary definition of loam in most dictionaries is soils containing humus ***(organic content)*** with no mention of particle size or texture"
  • 2 0
 @swellhunter: well dang
  • 1 0
 @TEAM-ROBOT: dang it part 2
  • 1 0
 @sxjimmy: This is awesome
  • 3 0
 @theconorcons: So which one is it, loamy sands or sandy loams ?
  • 4 0
 @cyclesdevinci: Loamy loams
  • 3 0
 Loam /lōm/ : Brown Pow!
  • 5 9
flag cirque4 (Feb 22, 2023 at 18:58) (Below Threshold)
 Loamers: people who ride with little or no understanding of the habitat/environmental damage they cause.
  • 8 3
 Blackface: Trudeau.
  • 1 0
 @jayacheess:
How will the Rapha marketing team ever decipher this?
  • 2 0
 My long held beliefs of the definition of loam have been upended by this thread. Now I don't know what to believe. Up is down, Down is up. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria.
  • 1 0
 Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha@jayacheess:
  • 1 2
 Mis information @WayneParsons:
  • 1 0
 @Clownshoe: wait until gender enters the loam discussion.
  • 1 0
 Is this the wearer of a Mexican Sombrero ? @TEAM-ROBOT:
  • 1 0
 @Durtwrx: Is that a deranged laugh? I'm going to assume so.
  • 35 1
 Caleb Holonko.
  • 1 1
 that guy did it
  • 3 0
 Yea, i was gunna say... cam zink is dope and all.. but jesus Caleb is nuts.
  • 3 0
 www.pinkbike.com/news/must-watch-caleb-holonko-turns-the-lights-out.html
  • 16 0
 I understand taking longer to get warmed up with age… you have more affairs to mentally put in order before you send it.
  • 8 0
 If one is a Devinci rider, it is mandatory to ride slab. Devinci is a Quebec company, home to many a famous slab including Slab City.
  • 4 0
 Agreed. Québec has some of the gnarliest, rockiest and best gravity fed terrain on the planet. Very underrated Smile
  • 2 0
 @kyleluvsdh: I'd give some of it up to be able to ride UK loam..

Goat for the win! I ride to their music all the time, I'm listening to them now!
  • 8 0
 Very cool to see how Zink’s skills can adapt. Cerebral stuff at this level.
  • 15 17
 No surprises really. If you can win rampage you hardly going struggle riding down grip tape like granite slab with all the moss scrubbed and scraped off it.
  • 23 1
 @thenotoriousmic: minimize much? Why do most of your comments on PB come across as negative?
  • 4 1
 @thenotoriousmic: not to mention he raced DH as a Junior.
  • 24 6
 @BermJunky: I have no idea. I can only apologise for not being surprised a multiple rampage winner can ride a mountain bike trail.
  • 5 0
 Actually when I heard last year he was coming to ride with Steve, I thought -"oh man, finally something that's way out of Cam's wheelhouse!" f*ck, I was totally wrong. He still kills it in everything.
  • 6 0
 @norcalbike: let's not forget about his bmx background
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: It's not slickrock.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: yes. I can’t imagine riding slabs is anywhere near Cam’s skill limits. Yeah we don’t usually see him on this type of terrain but this guy has crazy bike skills and it’s all riding. I am nowhere near this level but watching Cam all these years I’m not surprised.
  • 8 0
 @thenotoriousmic: grip tape??!! haha, you don't have a clue for most of those lines.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: Cameron Zink had one 1 Rampage win in 2010 and has 4 total podiums (2 2nds and 1 3rd).
  • 5 0
 @thenotoriousmic: hahahah come right em then buds. Yer ass will be puckered i guarantee!
  • 2 2
 @sxjimmy: Sounds awesome and thanks for the invite. Are you going to pick us up from the airport?
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: room for 1 more?
  • 5 0
 The 2 riders on the massive slab picture is up there with the best i have seen on here in recent times .
  • 2 0
 I agree with the idea Cam is so good I doubt any terrain will bother him, he has traveled the world risking it on all types of different terrain. This stuff is nasty but go back and look at some of the crazy backcountry crap he has done as well, he is just amazing all around and honestly this video makes me like him more as he seems very humble and likeable.
  • 6 0
 An aluminum spartan!
  • 7 0
 a prototype chainsaw**

^got this info from the legends on the green site's forums
  • 2 0
 @formerbmxguy: was chatting with my local LBS/mechanic/Devinci dealer this weekend and he was telling me about the coming Chainsaw
  • 8 0
 @chacou: that’s awesome naming the new DH bike after him. Respect Devinci.
  • 1 0
 Ran into him well he was riding it on Seymour. He said it wasn't a spartan
  • 1 0
 @formerbmxguy: That would make sense to name it the chainsaw thats a rad name for obvious reasons.
  • 3 0
 And another good video done by a cool guy filming other cool guys! Always easy videos to watch Scott, rad job! Steve, we still want you to go ride his stuff this year!!
  • 3 0
 Awesome. Cam showing his diversity. Glad Steve is healed up and shredding now. Scary features for sure
  • 4 0
 Cam and Steve: please ride together and film it. Thank you.
  • 3 0
 Scary stuff for most of us.
  • 2 0
 Video doesn’t work unfortunately :/
  • 3 0
 that's because they published the article before the video is actually available on Youtube, someone messed up the publishing timings
  • 1 0
 @elyari: Ahh makes sense. Whoops ;P
  • 13 0
 @elyari: Lesson learned…there is a time and a place for decaf coffee. Never and in the trash.
  • 1 0
 @cyclesdevinci: yeap, we all have been there, good video by the way
  • 1 0
 Sweet video! Cool to see Cam in another element. Wish Steve was all healed up so they could of shredded together.
  • 3 1
 devinci has had some killer content recently. loved this
  • 1 0
 Zink is truly master of mental. I mean tidy up, put fear away, and send it yo!
  • 1 0
 Cam show us how high skilled are "rampage athletes". Years of experience behind his back. Freeride ain't dead! Cheers
  • 2 0
 nice
  • 1 0
 Extremely well done video. Will watch again.
  • 1 0
 @ 1:31...do I spy an AXS DH group?!
  • 1 0
 been on many bikes! just a short cage
  • 1 0
 but only 2 of the 5 photos are actually in Squamish?
  • 1 0
 Nice one bois.
  • 1 3
 Its just different up here. Cam knows it, so do all the REAL ones.





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